They should have sent ashley and Mirai to 4CC. Their skates there would not really prove anything, but at least it would be another indicator the suitability of the decision.

No, too much traveling for the Olympic team. There's already an extra team event at the beginning of the Games - why send them to ANOTHER comp half-way across the planet in the little time they already have?

For casual viewing, Mirai's skate is pleasant to watch and not the disaster the scores indicate from that viewpoint. No falls or Blatant mistakes for the casual viewer. Enchanting smile at the end.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdG3u09eOys

She seems to lack that intrinsic motivation that is necessary to succeed at anything.

I hope that you are not suggesting that Mirai has not been able "to succeed at anything."
Although we might wish for more consistency in her results, she has had a very high level of success in her chosen field ... far higher than what many of us have accomplished in our own chosen fields, I daresay. A resume including a national championship, fourth place at the Olympics, and a slew of other national and international medals is successful by any normal standards.

It ain`t over until it is over. Injuries, winning an olympic medal etc could mean Mirai is going to world`s still or even the Olympics.

NOT HAPPENING. So the alternates have been named. Big deal. The USFSA has shown willful ignorance of fairness. If any of the 3 girls got injured, the USFSA would find a way to send the 2nd alternate over their "body of work" intead of Mirai. It would not surprise me if there was another back room meeting after 4CCs that jiggered the list of alternates. What the USFSA cannot afford to do is send Mirai to Olys or Worlds as an alternate. Knowing Mirai's history of performing awesomely under high-stakes events, Mirai would re-inforce the bad decision USFSA made to not name her and that would make them look bad.

As Mirai is #1 alternate to Worlds, USFS will want to monitor her training during the period from Olympics to Worlds. If Mirai still has no coach, or if she goes back to Japan to train with Mura's father and monitoring isn't possible, USFS might reassign the first alternate.

You've definitely lost it...Mirai and high pressure/expectations are typically a recipe for disaster (see 2010 Worlds, see 2011 Nationals, see 2012 Nationals...) if she ends up going to Worlds for whatever reason, there will be a crapton of pressure on the other two skaters to hold three spots due to her inability to skate well under pressure unless she really, really, really wants something...

I don't think it's fair to say Mirai's 4CC result confirms USFSA's decision. Had Nagasu been named to the Olympic team, nobody knows how she would have performed there. She might have done well. It's two entirely different situations.

That said, she did not help herself with a poor showing. But, she has handled the entire affair with class, and you have to give her that.

As Mirai is #1 alternate to Worlds, USFS will want to monitor her training during the period from Olympics to Worlds. If Mirai still has no coach, or if she goes back to Japan to train with Mura's father and monitoring isn't possible, USFS might reassign the first alternate.

Exactly. They will come up with a reason why "she's not ready" even if the reason has to be fabricated or makes no sense (like not having a coach when MK won Oly bronze with no coach.) If she is ready, they will find some "training funds" to slip Mirai (a payoff for silence) and Mirai will have a sudden "illness or injury" to keep her from competing.

Exactly. They will come up with a reason why "she's not ready" even if the reason has to be fabricated or makes no sense (like not having a coach when MK won Oly bronze with no coach.) If she is ready, they will find some "training funds" to slip Mirai (a payoff for silence) and Mirai will have a sudden "illness or injury" to keep her from competing.

Not being able to monitor her training is a reasonable concern knowing Mirai's history and her recent 4CC results. You seem to have a lot invested in this. I am curious as to know why. Is it just her or is there something more?

The technical specialist at US Nationals was very lenient. For instance, every triple jump in Mirai’s short program could easily have been called as underrotated, but the technical specialist gave her full credit for all of the jumps. She didn’t get the benefit of having a similarly lenient caller at 4CC.

That’s the problem with sending Mirai to important international events. She’s always going to be at the mercy of the technical specialist, because her jumps are only borderline rotated at best. This is a sensitive subject, but I don’t think her frame is conducive to rotating triple jumps. Just look at the American girls who have beaten her recently. She doesn’t have the stick thin frame that allows skaters like Gracie and Polina to rotate so quickly in the air. And she doesn’t have massive power and spring on her jumps like Courtney Hicks. Since she isn’t a quick rotator or a power jumper, she will always struggle to rotate her jumps.

Mirai at this stage of her career could skate "awesome" for her and still finish out the top 10. Her max scoring potential these days is like 180 points.

And anyway your claim is not well founded in anything. The biggest skate of her life, the LP of the 2010 Worlds, she proceded to flub almost every jump and plunged from 1st to 7th overall in what was one of the worst skated ladies events ever. Her biggest ones in the years to come like the 2011 and 2013 Nationals LPs, she again bombed.

Your pety sarcasm over the "body of work" reference falls flat. Wagner has been by far the best U.S skater over the last 3 years and has posted rules that are even light years above Gracie Gold, let alone Mirai. Do you honestly dispute that? That is a straight up question so dont dare avoid answering it. This would not be true of Gao, Cesario, or whomever else you are referring to, so would never be used.

7th place is "one of the worst skated ladies events ever"? Hm. Ashley was 4th at Worlds at her peak. She is nowhere near her peak right now.

The technical specialist at US Nationals was very lenient. For instance, every triple jump in Mirai’s short program could easily have been called as underrotated, but the technical specialist gave her full credit for all of the jumps. She didn’t get the benefit of having a similarly lenient caller at 4CC.